Septa's next-generation PCC - Transit Update - Brief Article

Railway Age, Dec, 2003

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is rebuilding and upgrading 18 classic PCC cars for the No. 15 Girard Avenue streetcar line, which is expected to be returned to service in 2004. The PCCs, originally built in 1947 by St. Louis Car for Philadelphia Transportation Co., are being rebuilt by Brookville Equipment Corp.

to near-original appearance. Among the upgrades are a Vossloh IGBT propulsion system using Skoda a.c. traction motors on Brookville-built Clark B-3-style trucks, Thermo-King roof-mounted HVAC equipment, dynamic brakes, and a center-door-mounted Stewart & Stevenson wheelchair lift. The original carbody was stripped down to the bare shell for rebuilding; Transmatic supplied new interior fittings, and a new roof was fabricated. The floor is plymetal. This is an as-built "all-electric" car with spring applied friction brakes with electric release and trolley pole current collection. LTK Engineering Services assisted SEPTA's New Vehicle Engineering Group with design and specification writing. No. 2320 pictured here is the prototype car. Four more PCCs are currently in production.